sub for $3500 or less


started this thread in the home theatre section, but maybe better suited for the speaker forum. just got a great tv and looking for the "super" sub...i'm only running 2 channel and the sub would be for movies...i'm very pleased with my system so far and believe that a bad a** sub is long over due...i very much enjoy movie night...budget is $3500 or less and would appreciate any advice from my fellow audiogon comrads... thanks, brent
128x128knollbrent
I'm running a Paradigm Seismic 12 and it's great for movies ... I can scare the hell out of myself. I had a tough time finding the best position for it; once I did movie have never been the same.

http://www.laaudiofile.com/seismic12.html

BUT

I agree with Myraj however Velodyne DD 15" at your price point... It's in a class by itself. I say 15" assuming your room is big enough to handle it. I have a large room and the 12" works just fine for movies. No use buying a 15" if you can only stand the volume on 1-2 you could get by with a 12". I have demo-ed the DD series a few times and each time I just shake my head for not going that route. 2 channel music is a different story ... but if it's for impact in movies go big!

You should hear "Lord of the Rings" ... Impressive - you will never look back.

Good luck
Your budget allows for many ideas, all very very hi-end. The Velo DD line, as mentioned above, is clearly an option. Also, mated with Velodyne's SMS-1 (ouitboard box that is used internally in the DD line, incredible bass EQ for $599, a must) I'd look at ACI Maestro, Axiom EP-600, Paradigm Servo Signature as well. The Maestro will rock your foundation, and mated with the SMS-1 will integrate like never before.

Good luck, have fun, and warn the neighbors (with beer).
thanks for the info gentlemen...the velodyne dd 15 and the piega mk11 are the front runners...look forward to "The Return of the King" brent
Horseface,

Velodyne tech support claims that in an audiophile 2 CH application, the DD-15 and DD-18 sound faster & less distorted than the smaller 10" and 12" versions. Appparently the larger cones present an easier load to the plate amp. I'm using the 15" in a 2 CH application and am pleased with its performance and ease of setup. You can buy a used DD-15 or DD-18 for $2K-$3K.

Dave
i appreciate the advice fellas,but it looks like i'm gonna go against the grain...the gent that has helped with my amp, pre, and the piega's has a piega mk11, mint, for $2500. running 2 channel piega c-10 ltds and figure the piega sub would pair quite nicely...had i not gone this route, the velodyne seems to be a crowd favorite...thanks for your suggestions...gotta go warn the neighbors, brent
jl audio is releasing three home theater subs that will probably be top notch. i heard them at CES, but who can tell in a demo room. 2 of them are under 2500. if you can find a dealer, it would be worth a listen.

svs gives you a lot of sub for your money, but they can be really really big. my 1200 dollar one is the size of two dorm fridges stacked on their side.
I just don't understand anyone buying a sub today other that a Velodyne DD series. Okay, maybe some other sub, but mating it with the Velodyne SMS-1 or other room correction system should be a must.

Knollbrent, regardless of how good the Piega is, there is nothing in the Piega that is going to fix the bass peaks in your room from the Piega sub. And you will definitely have them!

I have a DD-12 in my 2 channel setup and I had always fought bass issues in my room. The digital room correction in the DD-12 has given me incredibly powerful and fast bass without any boom. It only took me about an hour and a half to use the room correction right out of the box. I couldn't believe the peaks in the curve when I first hooked up the DD-12. But the room correction software has given me a virtually flat response down to 22 hz. They have a free upgrade (I haven't bothered) that has an "automatic" correction mode which would make things even easier and quicker to use if one chose to use it.

I realize that there are many good subs available, but the ROOM can make even the best sub sound bad. I am sure the Peiga sub would be fine with your c-10 ltds, but believe me, you will never get out of the Piega sub what a DD series will do for you (unless you use a SMS-1 or other room correction.) Just my humble opinion.
That's my point...use an SMS-1 with any sub you get. It will add 3x to its value and performance in your system.
Ted
Trying to optimize deep bass in the 15hz-30hz region without a frequency analyzer and digital EQ such as found in the Velodyne is like piloting a submarine without sonar. Without such tools you can spend months playing around with subwoofer setup and still be uncertain where you're at. The system allows phase shifts in 15 degree increments, the parametric EQ has ample headroom to allow notches to be stacked up high to eliminate bulges/depressions in frequency response, the servo control can be adjusted to loosen or tighten the bass for HT or 2 CH mode, cross-over & rolloff is adjustable in fine increments, and you can see it all on your TV or PC plotted in a graphical frequency sweep. Without these kind of tools it won't be easy to harness those long 20' to 50' wavelengths in the deep bass region...

Dave
I bought 2 Revel B15 subs. I am very happy with them. I started with one and then added another. One is not bad but two are much better. They are hard to tune. I always tune a little bit less than what I think it should be. Then I wait and listen for a few days. It is very easy to add too much sub. I think you will find the sub adds another dimension to the sound. It really is needed in home theater.
the piega mk11 will be here next wednesday... it should come with the software and tuning capabilities that the velo has...i would think a sub with a msrp of $5000 has the tuning abilities that dd series has...the velo subs must be very good, no doubt in my mind, but at the same time, piega is no slouch...the gent who is selling it has heard only one that was better and that was the watch dog- that's a good comparison in my book...i've had no regrets with my system so far...brent
"i would think a sub with a msrp of $5000 has the tuning abilities that dd series has..."

The Piega sub won't begin to approach the tuning abilities of the DD series. Either you didn't do your homework or you didn't understand what you were reading. I hate to be so blunt, but the Velodyne is light years ahead of the Piega in terms of "room tuning". That's not to say the Piega will not be a good sub and that you might not enjoy it, but it will never approach a "room tuned" sub.

And I am not sure why you even came in here and asked for advice. It seems you already had your mind made up when you made your first post on 6/27. You asked for advice and then report on 6/29, two days later, that you were buying a Piega sub from the same guy who sold you your other equipment. Why bother wasting people's time here. Next time just listen to the guy who is **trying to sell you something** to begin with.
it's all good dude...i asked for advice and got it- it's been appreciated as i have stated....do i have to buy what YOU tell me to buy? you must have a lot of equipt if you buy what everyone recommends.
You missed the point. But now I understand why you bought the Piega.

Enjoy your sub... "dude".
Fiddler- Settle down, beavis. You're being a little unfriendly to someone you don't know. The velo is a great sub, I own the DD15, but he decided to go a different direction. I don't feel as though my "time is wasted" from reading or participating in this thread.

Good luck with the Piega, I owned the P10s at one point in "refridgerator white." I'll always remember how smooth that tweeter sounded...
just a little update...i went with the piega mk11 and am really enjoying it...it's been quite awhile since i've had a sub for home theatre and i'd forgotten what an impact they make...i thought that my two channels were going to handle the load, but there is no comparison when it comes to movies...i do enjoy movie night and this has been well worth the investment...i enjoy the depth that my limiteds give me, so i haven't tuned it in for 2 channel listening- i will some day, just to give it a whirl....brent